Hoppers

 

A few more macro images from my walk on the heath in the New Forest.

It was a hot, sunny day and the air was filled with the buzzing sound of bees gathering nectar or pollen from the heather and gorse so I paused from time to time to try and capture some images of the industrious bees. But while I was trying to follow the bees at work I was also drawn to the sound of the grasshoppers all around. 

It was quite frustrating trying to spot them though, they were pretty small, and with their clever colouring I found it almost impossible to spot them, in fact I needed the assistance of my son who was on the trip with me.

If you zoom in you will see that they have really interesting eyes, you can also see the incredibly powerful legs they use to get out of the way of predators. I think they are pretty cool.

Creepy Little Fella

Maybe it is unkind to call this cute little bird "creepy" but he is a Tree Creeper so it is an accurate description. I have only photographed one once before and it was a lousy shot, low light, quick moving subject so grainy and blurry. On this particular occasion although the light wasn't great I did manage to get three quick shots. Using a high ISO the pictures are still quite grainy  but with a little bit of work I have been able to reduce some of the "noise" and produce soft but usable images.

He didn't stay still for long and quickly made its way around and up the tree trunk out of sight but it was a genuine thrill to see it and capture these pictures. You have to agree he is pretty cute. You may be able to make out his long claws/toes perfectly adapted to clinging to the bark enabling him to move nimbly and quickly up and down in his search for insects in every crevice. Hie curved beak is also perfectly adapted for the task of winkling out food from the tightest spots.

Can You See Me?

I think Chameleons are pretty cool. They don't seem to do very much and they move so slowly and purposefully. Perhaps they are the reptile equivalent of a Sloth.

I love the way they blend so well with the surroundings, I love their craggy features and their curly tail.

Yes indeed they're pretty cool